Bill Gates leads by example

Bill Gates
has pledged $US750 million to the troubled Global Fund – which fights aids, tuberculosis and malaria – through his charitable foundation and has called on governments around the world not to let the economic crisis affect their commitment to help.

The Microsoft co-founder played down concerns about the fund, which is accused of misuse of donations, and said he hoped that governments would continue to support the 10-year-old initiative despite the constraints on their economies and concerns about the way money was being spent.

The head of the global health fund for the past five years, Michel Kazatchkine, said during the week that he would resign in March after the fund said it wanted to create the position of general manager.

Mr Gates said: “These are tough economic times, but that is no excuse for cutting aid to the world’s poorest. The Global Fund is one of the most effective ways we invest our money every year."

Brandishing a photograph of a man who owes his life to the Global Fund, Mr Gates said the problems the fund had faced had been blown out of proportion.

“The way people have talked about this small misuse of funds is pretty disappointing," he said. “You’re going to have a small percentage that’s misused."

Mr Gates spoke after appearing on a panel on food sustainability for the world’s 7 billion people. “I’m optimistic we can help the world’s 1 billion hungry," he said, making clear that international aid was vital.

Asked if capitalism had failed by not providing food security, even though investing in agriculture provided good returns, Mr Gates said: “No one ever said capitalism solves everything."